New 3DMark Android app gives you more than a score

The new 3DMark app is built around data-driven stories that help you learn more about your smartphone or tablet. With its unique charts, lists, and rankings, the new app gives you unprecedented insight into the performance of your device.

The new app helps you answer questions like,

Is my score a good score for this device?

What do other people with the same model score?

How has my device's performance changed with OS updates?

How does my device compare with other popular models?

Which devices can perform consistently without slowing down?

Real-world performance revealed

Average benchmark scores are good for comparing devices, but 3DMark now goes further by showing you the full range of scores for each device in a unique new chart.

These charts, showing the range of results submitted by 3DMark users around the world, give you the complete picture of a device's performance outside of the test lab.

Looking at the chart below, for example, the peak shows the most common scores for the device. The higher the peak, the more results there are around that score value. In this case, you can see that all the results tend to fall in the same narrow range. This means the device performs consistently even when the benchmark is running under less than ideal conditions.

3DMark score range for a device with consistent performance.

In the next chart, however, we see a different performance profile. There are four distinct peaks spread over a wide range of scores. A chart with this shape tells you that, even though the device can score nearly as well as the first device, it cannot perform to that level consistently in real-world use.

Score range showing levels in performance due to thermal issues.

The rightmost peak (1) shows the score the device can achieve under ideal conditions. Peaks (2) and (3) tell you that this device slows down when hot or when multitasking. Many devices tend to reduce performance in steps, and those steps are visible in the chart. Lower scores may also come from devices running an older version of Android. The leftmost peak (4) shows you that the device's real-world performance can sometimes be far below the optimum.

These charts are available in the app for every one of the almost 5,000 smartphones and tablets in our database. For each device, there is a separate chart for each 3DMark benchmark test.

There are sure to be some fascinating insights waiting to be discovered by comparing the charts for popular models. You can also use these charts to see if thermal issues are unique to a device or common to all models that share the same chipset.

Fast, responsive, and easy to use

With smooth animations and consistent interactions in an interface built on Material Design principles, the new 3DMark app is a breeze to use. The app is also faster and more responsive than ever. On older phones, for example, 3DMark now starts up to 85% faster than the previous version.

We've made it easy to save and share your results, comparisons, charts, and many of the other screens in the app. Whenever you see the share icon, tap it to save and share an image of the current screen.

New Vulkan benchmark test for Android

Vulkan is a new graphics API that provides high-efficiency, low-level access to modern GPUs in a wide variety of devices from PCs to smartphones. APIs like Vulkan make better use of multi-core CPUs to streamline code execution and eliminate software bottlenecks, particularly for draw calls.

Games typically make thousands of draw calls per frame, but each one creates performance-limiting overhead for the CPU. Vulkan reduces that overhead, which means games and apps can draw more objects, textures, and effects to the screen to create richer, more immersive experiences.

3DMark Sling Shot Extreme benchmark test

3DMark Sling Shot Extreme is a cross-platform benchmark with results that are comparable across APIs. Use 3DMark Sling Shot Extreme to compare flagship Android smartphones and tablets with the latest iPhone and iPad models. You can compare scores from Android devices using OpenGL ES 3.1 and Vulkan with scores from Apple iOS devices using Metal.

In the Android app, you can choose to run Sling Shot Extreme using Vulkan or OpenGL ES 3.1 or both back-to-back.

Sling Shot Extreme tests the full range of API features including multiple render targets, instanced rendering, uniform buffers and transform feedback. The test includes volumetric lighting, depth of field and uses Compute Shaders for post-processing effects. For more details, we recommend reading our 3DMark Technical Guide, which explains exactly what's being measured and how the scores are calculated.

Compatibility

The Vulkan part of Sling Shot Extreme requires Android 7.0 or later and a device that supports Vulkan. The OpenGL ES 3.1 part requires Android 5.0 or later and a device that supports OpenGL ES 3.1.

Please note that Vulkan drivers are still maturing. Devices that shipped with early Vulkan drivers may have stability issues in this new test. Vulkan performance on other devices may be lower than expected. Performance may improve with future Android OS updates.

When comparing scores across platforms, note that the test results reflect both hardware and software. APIs with low overhead, such as Vulkan and Metal, can deliver more performance than OpenGL ES even on devices with similar hardware.

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VRMark Cyan Room - DirectX 12 benchmark for VR available now

November 22, 2017

We released a major update for VRMark today that adds Cyan Room, a new DirectX 12 benchmark test for VR. What's more, from now until November 28, you can get VRMark for only $4.99 (-75%) in the Steam Sale.

VRMark is a benchmarking application for measuring VR performance. The Cyan Room shows how using an API with less overhead can help developers create impressive VR experiences on modest PC systems.

You can run Cyan Room on a monitor or on a VR headset. Use Benchmark mode to measure performance or try Experience mode with a VR headset to judge a system's rendering quality with your own eyes.

VRMark Cyan Room - DirectX 12 benchmark for VR

VRMark Cyan Room is a VR benchmark that uses a pure DirectX 12 engine built in-house and optimized for VR. It features a large, complex environment and many eye-catching effects.

You can run the test on your monitor—no headset required—or on a connected HMD. The benchmark runs on a fixed path, which makes it easy to repeat the test on other systems to compare performance.

At the end of the test, you'll see if your PC was able to meet the target frame rate, a comparison with other systems, and detailed hardware monitoring charts.

Evaluate rendering quality with Experience Mode

VR headsets use clever techniques to compensate for missed frames. Even when the frame rate is below the target, you may be surprised by the quality of the VR experience.

You can use Experience mode with a VR headset to judge the performance of a system with your own eyes. It lets you freely explore the Cyan Room in your own time. You can change the rendering resolution and other settings to make the scene more or less demanding. Experience mode is a great way to see how your PC's performance affects your VR experience.

About VRMark

First released in November 2016, VRMark has helped thousands of people test their PC's VR performance.

In addition to the Cyan Room, VRMark offers two more VR benchmarks. The Orange Room tests your system against the recommended hardware requirements for the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. The Blue Room is a much more demanding test. With its massive 5K rendering resolution and spectacular volumetric lighting effects, it sets a high bar for future hardware generations.

Available now

Cyan Room is available now as a free update for VRMark Advanced Edition and VRMark Professional Edition. Cyan Room is not available in VRMark Basic Edition or the VRMark demo on Steam.

Standalone versions of VRMark will prompt you to download and install the update. On Steam, VRMark is updated automatically.

VRMark Advanced Edition - $4.99 (-75%) until November 28

VRMark Advanced Edition includes all three benchmarks and additional features such as custom run settings. VRMark is available to download and buy from our online store and from Steam.

Orange Room - VR ready for HTC Vive and Oculus Rift.

Cyan Room - DirectX 12 benchmark for VR performance.

Blue Room - The high bar for future hardware.

Headset not required - run on your monitor or an HMD.

Make tests more or less demanding with custom settings.

Detailed frame-by-frame performance charts.

Evaluate rendering quality with Experience mode.

VRMark Professional Edition - From $995 per year

VRMark Professional Edition is licensed for business and commercial use. It offers additional features designed for business users such as command line automation and scripting and private offline results by default.

Servermark Media Transcode benchmark is now available

November 20, 2017

The first server benchmark in our new Servermark suite—Servermark Media Transcode—is now available from our UL website.

Servermark is a new benchmark suite from UL and Futuremark. Servermark brings our trusted benchmarking expertise to industry, enterprise, and press users who are searching for accurate and impartial server benchmarks.

Servermark tests are easy to install, run, and understand, which means you can choose and compare server hardware configurations with confidence.

The first Servermark test in the suite is the Media Transcode benchmark. More Servermark benchmarks are in development and will be available with future updates.

Servermark Media Transcode benchmark

Media Transcode is a Servermark benchmark for testing the performance of media transcoding servers individually or as a cluster. The aim of the benchmark is to determine how many video streams a server can transcode simultaneously using high-performance media transcoding libraries from Intel and NVIDIA.

The video content used in the benchmark test covers real-world challenges such high motion, low motion, and low light. A range of options and settings let you configure the target video format, resolution, and quality level. The benchmark produces a set of useful performance and quality metrics that you can use to compare server configurations. You can also compare the input and output videos by eye or with your own quality tools.

VRMark Cyan Room coming November 22

VRMark is a benchmarking application for measuring VR performance. You can run VRMark tests on your monitor—no headset required—or on a connected HMD. Each benchmark runs on a fixed path, which makes it easy to repeat the test on other systems to compare performance.

VRMark Cyan Room - DirectX 12 benchmark for VR

Cyan Room is a new DirectX 12 benchmark test for VR. It uses a pure DirectX 12 engine built in-house and optimized for VR. It features a large, complex environment and many eye-catching effects. Cyan Room shows how using an API with less overhead can help developers deliver impressive VR experiences even on modest PC systems.

VRMark's Experience mode will let you explore the Cyan Room in your own time. You can change the rendering resolution and other settings to make the scene more or less demanding. VR headsets use clever techniques to compensate for missed frames. Using Experience mode with a VR headset is a great way to see how system performance affects your VR experience.

First released in November 2016, VRMark has helped thousands of people test their PC's performance for VR.

The VRMark Orange Room benchmark tests your system against the recommended hardware requirements for the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift.

The Blue Room is a much more demanding test. With its massive 5K rendering resolution and spectacular volumetric lighting effects, it sets a high bar for future hardware generations.

After running a benchmark, you see if your PC was able to meet the target frame rate, a comparison with other systems, and detailed hardware monitoring charts.

Available November 22

Cyan Room will be released on November 22 as a free update for VRMark Advanced Edition and VRMark Professional Edition. Find out more.

PCMark 10 v1.0.1403 update released

November 13, 2017

Today we released a minor update for PCMark 10 that improves the PDF result report feature and fixes a few minor bugs. Benchmarks scores are not affected.

Improved

SystemInfo module updated to 5.3.629 for improved compatibility with the latest hardware.

Fixed

Fixed an issue with the Web Browsing video workload not starting in some cases.

Fixed an issue with the Web Browsing workload not starting when running on a proxy server.

Professional Edition only

Subscores from PCMark 10 Extended benchmark runs are now included in PDF and XML result reports.

Fixed the "--clean-temporary-files" command line option.

Added a new command line setting "tempdir" for overriding the default location for the workloads' temporary files.

How to get the latest version

To update to the latest version, open PCMark 10 and follow the prompts on the Home screen. If you bought or downloaded PCMark 10 from Steam you will get the latest updates automatically.

Futuremark and Newegg offer PC enthusiasts everything they need in one place

November 7, 2017

We are proud to announce a new partnership with Newegg, the leading tech-focused e-retailer in North America. The partnership sees Newegg complement its comprehensive selection of PC components and complete systems with our popular 3DMark, VRMark and PCMark 10 benchmarks. It's a winning combination: everything you need to build and benchmark a new PC in one place.

Newegg has long been the preferred destination for tech-savvy PC users when buying or building a new PC or upgrading individual components. Futuremark benchmark tests have helped millions of people test, compare and understand PC performance. Now for the first time, PC enthusiasts can buy Futuremark benchmarks from the same place they buy their components and accessories.

Jani Joki, Commercial Director at Futuremark, said,

“Our benchmarks have been used by gamers, overclockers and PC enthusiasts for almost 20 years. We are delighted to partner with Newegg to offer 3DMark, VRMark and PCMark 10 to PC gamers and system builders who care about performance.”

Merle McIntosh, Newegg’s SVP of Sales & Marketing, said,

“Newegg is committed to offering the most comprehensive hardware selection and a superior shopping experience. 3DMark, VRMark and PCMark 10 are industry-standard benchmarks that add to Newegg’s selection and help the company deliver everything from hardware components to PC performance measurement tools.”

Newegg Inc. is the leading electronics-focused e-retailer in the United States. It owns and operates Newegg.com (https://www.newegg.com) which was founded in 2001 and regularly earns industry-leading customer service ratings. It now has a global reach to more than 50 countries in Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and the Middle East. The award-winning website has more than 32 million registered users and offers customers a comprehensive selection of the latest consumer electronics, entertainment, smart home and gaming products, consistently ranking as one of the best online shopping destinations.

3DMark Time Spy Extreme - 4K DirectX 12 benchmark available now

Time Spy Extreme is a benchmark for gamers who want to play at the highest settings, system builders configuring 4K-capable machines, and overclockers who are tweaking the latest PC hardware for every last bit of extra performance.

3DMark Time Spy Extreme - 4K DirectX 12 benchmark

Time Spy Extreme is the world's first 4K DirectX 12 benchmark test, developed with input from AMD, Intel, NVIDIA, and the other members of our Benchmark Development Program.

With its 4K Ultra HD rendering resolution and a redesigned CPU test, Time Spy Extreme is the ideal benchmark test for the latest high-end graphics cards and new processors with 8 or more cores. You don't need a 4K monitor to run the test, though you will need a GPU with at least 4 GB of dedicated memory.

Ideal for new multi-core processors

The CPU test has been redesigned to let processors with 8 or more cores perform to their full potential. Compared with Time Spy, the Extreme CPU test is three times more demanding. It also lets processors use more advanced instructions sets up to AVX2 when supported.

Time Spy Extreme Stress Test

The update also adds a new Time Spy Extreme Stress Test. Stress testing is a good way to check the stability of your system after buying or building a new PC, upgrading your graphics card, or overclocking your GPU. It can help you identify hardware problems or a need for better cooling.

Available now

Time Spy Extreme is available now as a free update for 3DMark Advanced Edition and 3DMark Professional Edition licenses purchased after July 14, 2016, and for those with older copies who already own the Time Spy upgrade.

Standalone versions of 3DMark will prompt you to download and install the update. On Steam, 3DMark is updated automatically.

3DMark Advanced Edition - $29.99

3DMark Advanced Edition unlocks all benchmarks and additional features including Time Spy Extreme, Stress Tests, and Custom Run settings. 3DMark is available to download and buy from our online store and from Steam.

Unlock all benchmarks and feature tests including Time Spy Extreme.

Check your PC's stability with 3DMark Stress Tests.

Explore your PC's performance limits with custom settings.

Get in-depth insights with interactive performance graphs.

Automatically save your results offline.

3DMark Professional Edition - from $1495 per year

3DMark Professional Edition is licensed for business and commercial use. It offers additional features designed for business users such as command line automation and scripting, extended Stress Test options, Image Quality Tool, private offline results by default, and result export to XML for further analysis and reporting.

Is it true that iPhones get slower over time?

October 6, 2017

Last week, a story went viral that claimed Apple was intentionally slowing down older iPhones to push people to buy its latest models.

And while plenty of reputable sites debunked the logic of that claim, no one looked at actual performance data to tell the true story.

Fortunately, we have plenty of real-world data we can use. Since 2016, we have collected more than a hundred thousand benchmark results for seven different iPhone models across three different versions of iOS.

These benchmark results provide a unique insight into the everyday performance of each iPhone model over time. And, as you'll see, there are no signs of a conspiracy.

How we test iPhone performance

3DMark is a free benchmarking app for testing the performance of smartphones. It works by running a demanding series of tests. Each test produces a set of scores that you can use to compare devices. The recommended test for recent iPhone models is called Sling Shot Extreme.

Are older iPhones being deliberately slowed?

We looked at data for the iPhone 5s first because, if older devices are being deliberately slowed, the effect should be most obvious with models that have been around for longer.

The chart below shows iPhone 5s GPU performance over time. Each bar shows the average 3DMark Sling Shot Extreme Graphics test score calculated from all results submitted during that month. A higher score indicated better performance. The bars are coloured according to iOS version.

As you can see, iPhone 5s GPU performance has remained consistent from iOS 9 to iOS 11 with only minor variations that fall well within normal levels.

The next chart below shows CPU performance over time as measured by the 3DMark Sling Shot Extreme Physics test. Again, it is clear that iOS updates have not had a significant effect on performance.

The charts for the iPhone 6, iPhone 6s, and iPhone 7 tell a similar story. GPU performance has remained consistent across iOS versions with only minor variations.

The graphs for CPU performance show a very slight drop in performance over time - possibly due to minor iOS updates or other factors - but a user would be unlikely to notice this small difference in everyday use.

Why do searches for "iPhone slow" spike when new models are released?

Our benchmarking data shows that, rather than intentionally degrading the performance of older models, Apple actually does a good job of supporting its older devices with regular updates that maintain a consistent level of performance across iOS versions.

That said, there are some factors that might affect people's perception of performance after updating an older device with a newer version of iOS. An update might add new features that use more resources or require more processing power. New apps developed for the latest models might not run as smoothly on older devices. Conversely, apps designed for an earlier version of iOS might not take full advantage of optimizations in the latest version. And then there is always the psychological effect of knowing that there is a new and improved model available, which can make your own device seem outdated.

How to test your own Android or Apple phone

3DMark is a free benchmarking app available from the Apple App Store and Google Play. Benchmark your phone and see how it compares with the latest models.